Motion-picture machine



Oct. 27, 1925 C. ANDERSEN MOTION PICTURE MACHINE F1104 Sopt. 17, 1920 e H mi N T h W M H M A Patented Oct; 27, 1925;

UNITED STATES;

L CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

PATENT 0F FlCE.

MOTION-PICTURE MACHINE.)

Application filed September 17, 1920. Serial No; 410,864. a a a To allwhom it mag concern: 1 I

; Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN ANDERsEN,

a. citizen of the United States, residing at, 466 10th Street, Portland, in the county bf" Multnomah and State of Oregon,phave'l1nvented-a new and useful Motion-Picture M'achine,of which the following is a specication. .f

My invention relates to improvements in motion picture machines in which the film moves continuously, the motion of the film being compensated for by oscillating reflectors which move in synch'ronism with the Serial No. 366,044, and which was allowed March 29, 1920, the patentable features of' which are not abandoned but are embodied and claimed in the present application, to-

gether with the other features in this application described and claimed.

The objects of the invention are:

First, toprovide means by which a plurality of reflectors are employed in such a manner that a dissolving view is obtained.

Second, to provide'an arrangement of the various partsof the machine by which the relative positions of the parts and angular speed of the reflectors canbe varied without disturbing correct optical and mechanical relations, thus making it possible to use lenses of dilferent focal lengths, and

Third, to provide as simple a machine as possible.

The invention is also valuable for the use of colors in moving pictures.

The accompanying drawings show two forms of my ihvention by which these objects are attained.

Fig. 1 is a side view of one form of my invention in which a retracting prismoid is introduced above the aperture plate to move the beam of the light in the direction of the motion of the film and at right angles to such direction;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the form of my invention in which the refracting prismoid shown in Fig 1 is not employed;

3 is a detail drawing showing transversely how the two reflectors and level arms mounted on a concentric shaft and carried byv the movable block are actuated by two cams; e

Figs fit and 4* are isometric views of two blocks, ene; of which carries the reflector shaft and the other the aperture plate and revolving prismoid; V p S Fig. 5 is an end view of the retracting prismoid;-I e V Fig. 6 is a side view of the refractin'g prismoid showing how two opposite faces make an angle with each other;

' Fig. 7 is a side view of same after having turned thru an'ang c of ninety degrees from the position shown in'Fig. 6;

Figs. 8 to 14-inclusive are optical diagrams showing how the refracting prismoid causes the beam of light to follow the ad-* vancing film as shown in 1;

Figs. 15 to 17 inclusive are optical diagrams corresponding to the form shown by Fig: 2 and they illustrate how the two reflectors superpose adjacent pictures on the screen. a

Similarnumerals refer to similar parts lhruout the several views. 7

The film 1 moves between the rollers 2 and and along the curved aperture plate 4; The roller 5 holds the film against the film driving sprockets (3. The-aperture plate 4 is fastened by a stem 7 to a block 7, the veriical position of which is controlled by-the screw 8. Another block 9, the vertical posilion of which is similarly controlled by the screw '10, is pierced by and carries a shaft cmis sting of concentric portions 1'1 and 12 respectively, to which the reflectors 13 and 14, and slotted actuating levers 15 and 16, are fastened. The effective length of the levers15 and 16 can be varied by moving the rollers 17 and 18 in the slots of the for- The parts already mentioned are common' to the two forms of the invention here shown.

The device ShOWn in Fig. 1. has. in addiand W the width of one tion, the following parts: The gears 27,

:9 and 2-) rotate a retracting prismoid 30 ranged that when the machine is driven the reflcctds 13 and 14 receive and hold steady on the screen (not shown) the advancing film pictures in succession. It is clear that the angle through which the reflectors move during the time of reflecting each picture, in other words the speed of the reflector, must be accurately determined. With the lens placed as shown by Figs. 1 and 2, this angle of oscillation, eorresponding to one pictureis equal to one-half the angle subtended by each picture at the optical center of the lens.

One mode of solving the problem of adjusting the angular speed of the reflector in my invention may be stated as follows:

Let a be the angle of oscillation of each reflector corresponding to one picture, D

the focal length of. the lens in use, L thev effective length of lever, F the offset or drop on the cam corresponding to one picture, picture, then, very nearly,

D and sin. a=- or L Now as W and'F areconstants for any machine, the variables D and L are proj portional, and if F is made equal tol W, I) and L will be equal. As shown by Figs. 1 and 2 the parts can then be so arranged sin. a=

that. the center of the reflector shaft in any position is on a vertical tangent to the mean cam circumference with a stationary point of tangency P. If now the reflector shaft is placed a distance equal. to D below this point of tangency the lever arm with effective length, also equal to D. will form an other tangent to the cam with the roller at .a pomt of tangency, which is the best position for accurate movement.

In Fig. 1 the angle of oscillation corresponds to the width of two pictures,- because portions of each picture are shown during two picture periods, hencethe large ofl'set on the cams as compared "to Fig. 2 where each reflector oscillates to correspond to the width ofonly one picture; but in either case the efl'ectivFlengthpQvcrs 15 and 16 and therefore the angular speed of the reflector corresponds to the focal length of lens used, which is greater in Fig. 1 than in Fig. 2. Figs. 1 and 2 show the roller to be at'the point of tangency in both cases, al-

the advancing film.

i,559,2es

though the length of levers (equal to the focal length of the lens) are different.

The reflecting surfaces of the two reflectors 13 and 14 must pass through the center of revolution of the reflector shaft.

Referring now to Figures 15, 16 and 17 for the operation of my device as shown in Fig. 2',the cycle of operation is as follows:

picture D, and so. onf With this arrangement the dissolving effect lasts about onehalf of each picture period.

i In Fig. 2 eachreflector will reflect all the film exposed' at the aperture plate; the excess imagenotv wanted may be excluded from the screen by a frame in front ofthe machine, and by framing the screen by dark material.

W-ith arrangement shown in Fig. 2 the beam of light covers two pictures, which is a disadvantage as the intensity of the available light is thereby reduced. 'This disadvantage is overcome by the use of the refracting prismoid 30,'shown in Fig. 1, which is revolved in the beam of light above the aperture-plate at a speed of, 90 degrees dur- By virtue of ing the time of one picture. its'shape, as shown by Figs. 5, 6 and 7, it will move the beam of light in the direction of the motion of the film and also bendthe ray transversely to said direction. Figs- 6 and 7 show how a ray of light is bent transversely. In Figs. 5 to 14. R and Ti designate f ces pposite to'rach other of the prismoid.

Figs. 8 to 14 show positionsof the revolving prismoid differing from each other by '15 degrees, and corresponding positionsof two pictures I and II on the film. The

light entering faces R and L and emerging at R and Ti respectively moves ahead w' In addition to this for ward motion the light is refracted transversely so that during the cycleshown by Figs. 8 to 14, portionsof picture 1 are carried to one reflector by light beams passing through R- and R. while portions of picture 9 are carried to the other reflector by light beams passing through L and L.

Each reflector is oriented on 'its shaft so that it would reflect onel-ivhole picture to the screen in the same place to which the other reflector would reflect an adjacent whole picture, provided each whole picture were illuminated; but as shown by Figs. 9 to 13, only a portion of each picture is illuone whole picture.

niinated at any one time. These illuminated portions are supplemental and together form The orientation of the cams on the shafts cause the two portions to appear on the screen in their correct relative positions. During the time that each reflector, after having completed its picture, is returning to its initial position the other reflector carries one entire picture (see Figs. t5 and ll) so that at all times there is a complete picture on the screen. The beam ol light is only large enough to cover one picture and only the space of one will be illuminated on the screen. This accomplishes two things, viz: The available amount of light gives the maximum int nsity on the screen. and there will he no excess image to exclude by a frame, as is the case in Fig.

The movement of the beam of light. caused by retraction in the revolving prismoid would not be accurate enough to accomplish the purpose served by the reflectors in plac ing the pictures in exact position on the screen, but it is sutlieiently accurate to serve in distributing the illumination as shown above.- It will he noted that in Fig. l pertions of two pictures will he on the screen continuously during a two picture period:

hence the large eccentricity ot the cam.

()n the drawings only two reflectors are shown but it is cl ar that more might be used without a departure from the invention. I have only shown those parts of two types of machine to which my invention is appli able which are necessary to illustrate the invention. and I do not. therefore. limit my invention to the particular embodiments here shown.

I claim:

1. motion picture machine of the chara ter de cribed comprising means for guiding and continuously moving a film. a plu rality ol' reflectors. means for moving the. reflectors in syn hronism with the tilm. mean for regulating the, speed of the movement of the reflectors. means for controlling the distant-e between the lilm and the reflectors. and an objective lens adjustably mounted with rc 'rrence to the tilm.

2. motion picture machine of the character descrihed including means for guiding and continuousiy moving a film. a plurality of reflectors. mean f r moving the reflectors in svnchronism with the tilm. means for regulating the speed ot' said synchronous movement. and an obiective lens; adjustably mounted in relation to the film.

t. motion picture machine of the charac er tlt ('l'li-ttl including means for guiding and continuously moving a tilm, a plurality of reflector means For moving the reflec tors in synchronism with the moving tilm, means for controlling the distance between the lihu and the reflectors, and an objective picture lens adjustahly mounted with reference to the film.

4. A motion picture machine comprising means for continuously moving a film, an aperture plate movably mounted, a lens, a plurality of reflectors movably mounted, means for operating the reflectors in synchronism with the moving film, such means consisting of a plurality of disc cams and a plurality of levers adjustable. as to length, the eccentricity or drop on each cam effective.- during one picture period being equal to one-half the width ot' one film picture, and the etl'ective length of each lever being equal to the focal length of the lens. the parts being so arranged that the aperture plate and reflectors can be placed in difl'erent positions al ng a straight line with a common point of tangen y to the mean cam oilcumt'erence and the reflectors, during operation. being placed at a distance from said point of tangency equal to the effective length of the levers.

5. In a motion picture machine of the character referred to. means for continuously moving a film. a plurality of reflectors, means for moving the reflectors in synchronism with the film. means for controlling the speed of the said synchronous movement and means for moving a beam of light in the direct ion of the mot ion of the film and trans versely to the said direction.

(3. In a motion picture machine of the character referred to a plurality of reflectors means for moving the reflectors in synchronism with a film. means for controlling the distance between the film and reflectors and means for moving a beam of light in the direction of the motion of the lihn and transversely to said direction.

7. In a motion picture machine a moving tilm. a plurality of reflectors.means for moving the reflectors in svnchronism with the moving lihn. and a retracting prismoid between the source of the beam of light and the film. such prismoid being moved in synehronism with the lilm and the reflectors.

8. In a motion picture machine. a moving tilm. a plurality of reflectors. means for moving the reflectors in syncl'ironism with the moving film and refractive means for bending the beam of light-before it reaches the film such retracted means being moved in synchrouisni with the film and with the reflectors.

5). In a motion picture machine. a means for producing a beam of light. a moving tilm. and a revolving retracting element whose faces are successively and in alternate directions inclined towards the axis of revolution. the beam of light being thereby bent transversely to the direction of the motion of the film.

CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN. 

